FORT SMITH, Ark. (April 20, 2024) – No.26 Lubbock Christian University closed out the regular season with a 5-1 Lone Star Conference road victory over Arkansas Fort Smith Saturday at Fort Smith Athletic Club.
 
The Lady Chaps played a near-perfect dual, winning all three doubles matches and four of the five completed singles matches. Andrea De Bernardo (No.1-doubles, 6-0), Oshini Herath / Anastasiia Opolska (No.2-doubles, 6-2) and Mariia Koroleva / Taylor Nichols (No.3-doubles, 6-1) all cruised to sweep doubles play and give LCU the doubles point.
 
LCU's singles matches won were easily claimed. Oshini Herath set the tone with a pair of 6-1 set wins to win No.4-singles. Michelle Trochez followed with a pair of 6-2 set wins in No.1-singles to put LCU up 3-0. No.26 De Bernardo claimed a win in No.2-singles to clinch the dual (4-0) for LCU. Mariia Koroleva also claimed a win in No.5-singles (won 6-0, 6-1).
 
Koroleva claimed her 25^th singles win of the season (25-3 overall and 20-1 in duals) and has won 13 consecutive singles matches. Her 25 singles wins co-leads the squad alongside Opolska. Herath (12-4) and Nichols (7-6… 4-0 in duals) have each won four straight singles matches. In doubles, De Bernardo / Trochez claimed their team-leading 19^th win and are 19-9 this season (improved to 6-2 in No.1-doubles).
 
LCU's win sends them into the postseason 5-5 in LSC play and 20-6 overall. The 5-5 conference mark has them in sixth place in the LSC standings and it currently appears they will head to the LSC Championships as the No.6-seed (several programs have not concluded their conference schedule and have duals remaining). The LSC Championships are scheduled to begin Thursday in Arlington, Texas.